Sorry to ask this BUT... What detector is the best in the 600 to 750 range and why?

[jreverquest]

Brothers and Sisters,

Sorry to ask this question as Im sure you get it asked all the time but this is a specific price range... Im looking hard at the AT Pro however with the suggestions of others I notice many have different opinions... Im sure I will purchase a few over this year but which one do YOU personally recommend and why? I will be hunting a variety of coins, and a lot of relics so Im sure an all around detector will be a best bet... I have experience at metal detecting however its been many years ago and now that the wife has bailed on me I have a lot of spare time on my hands... I live right at two mountains (Crowders and Kings mountain) in NC so Im not sure if that will make a difference due to minerals etc in the ground... The price may even go up to 1k but that will be the most and prefer a cap at around 750 or so... Also Im doing my own research on what others are saying too so Im not being lazy lol but there are a ton of posts and I have been reading until Ive been getting headaches lol .... Also maybe point me in the direction of some articles about specific brands or detectors that are good reads... I know Im asking a lot but you guys are all I have... Thanks again and God bless

JR

 

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[Shunkaha]

I really like my Minelab Xterra 705. It fits in your budget and if you talk with some of the dealers here you may be able to get a package deal with a lesch digger and a pro pointer and still stay under budget. You can also buy different coils for the 705 that will change the frequency which makes it very adaptable for all types of detecting. That's my 2 cents. Good luck with your decision.

 

[: Michael-Robert.]

Brothers and Sisters,

Sorry to ask this question as Im sure you get it asked all the time but this is a specific price range... Im looking hard at the AT Pro however with the suggestions of others I notice many have different opinions... Im sure I will purchase a few over this year but which one do YOU personally recommend and why? I will be hunting a variety of coins, and a lot of relics so Im sure an all around detector will be a best bet... I have experience at metal detecting however its been many years ago and now that the wife has bailed on me I have a lot of spare time on my hands... I live right at two mountains (Crowders and Kings mountain) in NC so Im not sure if that will make a difference due to minerals etc in the ground... The price may even go up to 1k but that will be the most and prefer a cap at around 750 or so... Also Im doing my own research on what others are saying too so Im not being lazy lol but there are a ton of posts and I have been reading until Ive been getting headaches lol .... Also maybe point me in the direction of some articles about specific brands or detectors that are good reads... I know Im asking a lot but you guys are all I have... Thanks again and God bless

JR

I agree with Shunkaha. The Minelab Xterra 705

 

[Gold Maven]

I think everyone is partial to their own brand, I like Tesoro, I have tortured mine for 15 years, and never had a problem.

Lifetime warranty is also nice.

Good Luck.

 

[steve1357]

Brothers and Sisters,

Sorry to ask this question as Im sure you get it asked all the time but this is a specific price range... Im looking hard at the AT Pro however with the suggestions of others I notice many have different opinions... Im sure I will purchase a few over this year but which one do YOU personally recommend and why? I will be hunting a variety of coins, and a lot of relics so Im sure an all around detector will be a best bet... I have experience at metal detecting however its been many years ago and now that the wife has bailed on me I have a lot of spare time on my hands... I live right at two mountains (Crowders and Kings mountain) in NC so Im not sure if that will make a difference due to minerals etc in the ground... The price may even go up to 1k but that will be the most and prefer a cap at around 750 or so... Also Im doing my own research on what others are saying too so Im not being lazy lol but there are a ton of posts and I have been reading until Ive been getting headaches lol .... Also maybe point me in the direction of some articles about specific brands or detectors that are good reads... I know Im asking a lot but you guys are all I have... Thanks again and God bless

JR

Ford or Chevrolet?

Seriously, have you had a detector before?

All the companies make good detectors.

I'd suggest watching a lot of youtube videos of people in action. I think all machines will have features you like and features you hate. Menus, batteries, weight, display, no display, tones, etc. Remember on deep targets the displays are worthless and if you're after gold, you might as well not have a display imho.

Or you may want to drop $200 and discover this hobby isn't what you imagined it would be.

Any clubs in your area? Go to a meeting, go on a hunt with them, I'm sure someone will have an extra machine.

Any dealers near you that you could get your hands on a few demo machines?

 

[Lores]

Do you want a display? That will narrow things done for you.

 

[charlotte49er]

I had a Minelab 705 Gold. It was terrible! Wouldn't hit on a .5 gram or smaller picker! And to change frequencies, Minelab makes you buy a new coil for every frequency! ($150+ per coil!) I've been detecting for over 35 years, so I know how to use a machine.

Hard to beat a Fisher F70! $650

 

[dirtscratcher]

I had a Minelab 705 Gold. It was terrible! Wouldn't hit on a .5 gram or smaller picker! And to change frequencies, Minelab makes you buy a new coil for every frequency! ($150+ per coil!) I've been detecting for over 35 years, so I know how to use a machine.

Hard to beat a Fisher F70! $650

Are you saying the f70 will?

 

[Longhair]

 

[Fletch88]

I had a Minelab 705 Gold. It was terrible! Wouldn't hit on a .5 gram or smaller picker! And to change frequencies, Minelab makes you buy a new coil for every frequency! ($150+ per coil!) I've been detecting for over 35 years, so I know how to use a machine. Hard to beat a Fisher F70! $650 Video Link: http://youtu.be/5rBCqHO3mgU

Mine screams on a .3 gram picker with 5x10 HF coil at 4-5 inches.

 

[jreverquest]

Ford or Chevrolet?

Seriously, have you had a detector before?

All the companies make good detectors.

I'd suggest watching a lot of youtube videos of people in action. I think all machines will have features you like and features you hate. Menus, batteries, weight, display, no display, tones, etc. Remember on deep targets the displays are worthless and if you're after gold, you might as well not have a display imho.

Or you may want to drop $200 and discover this hobby isn't what you imagined it would be.

Any clubs in your area? Go to a meeting, go on a hunt with them, I'm sure someone will have an extra machine.

Any dealers near you that you could get your hands on a few demo machines?

Steve,

Yes I bought my first Garrett over 20 years ago and even then it was over 1k so I guess you could say that yes I have purchased and owned metal detectors but only Garretts and only many years ago... That is why I asked what I did about what YOU would recommend as a general detector in a select price range with maybe a why if you wanted to go into it... You see I didn't stay in the field because it is a time consuming hobby and being in law enforcement you don't have much time except to eat and sleep on your time off with those 12 plus hour shifts... Now Im disabled after trying to handcuff a meth head which took what felt like 10 mins before others arrived and it took 6 total to get him finally cuffed... This was a step to my 2 back surgeries and 2 months in the hospital and my wife bailing out on me after 16 years this past may the 9th.... I said that to say this, I now have the free time to get back into a hobby that I have wanted to get back into for a long time... Im by no means a beginner and am no expert, Im just an average guy who wanted to know what detector you personally liked in my price range... I posted in the Garrett forum however I felt that I might not get all the recommendations for other brands in that forum so I posted here after many other great Treasurenet members gave me insight into other options other then the AT Pro... Thanks for your post and I hope you don't think Im being rude, I just feel that a lot of people don't post because they are afraid of looking like an idiot or lazy for asking a question. These are forums and this is one of if not the best metal detecting forum on the web so that is why I asked... Words are so hard to get ones meaning across because you cant see the facial expressions but just to clear it up...

Yes I have experience, and yes I have a couple metal detectors however they are over 20 years old Garretts and the newest thing I currently own or bought was what was called a "hot head coil?" or something like that lol so I need the new technology information and I will do my research on what others recommend based on what they like themselves... Maybe I wasn't clear or maybe it was my PTSD acting up in this post, if so please forgive me because I don't want to sound like a jerk to such a good community of people... Yeah being in law enforcement can make you talk like a jerk sometimes, even when you have the best interests at heart...

To the others that posted their choices many thanks and Im currently looking them up now and its making my choice so much harder lol.... Also want to add it doesn't have to have a screen however many I see now do infact have them and im sure they can be useful however I have to have one that produces good audio tones on top of the nice digital readouts... Im like a kid in a candy store...

JR

 

[jreverquest]

Are you saying the f70 will?

I read from someone who worked for fisher detectors and they stated an F70 detector was just as good as the more expensive F75 and that it basically got ignored because a lot of folks either go for cheaper then the F70 or jump to the more expensive F75 thinking that it was the best when the F70 was a much better deal and could do the same thing... I don't personally know if that's a fact but I do believe it is based on that response... The F70 is another one Im looking into along with the AT Pro/Gold and of course the Minelabs and Tesoro's and whatever else anyone recommends... The more the merrier, I say....

JR

 

[steve1357]

Steve,

Yes I bought my first Garrett over 20 years ago and even then it was over 1k so I guess you could say that yes I have purchased and owned metal detectors but only Garretts and only many years ago... That is why I asked what I did about what YOU would recommend as a general detector in a select price range with maybe a why if you wanted to go into it... You see I didn't stay in the field because it is a time consuming hobby and being in law enforcement you don't have much time except to eat and sleep on your time off with those 12 plus hour shifts... Now Im disabled after trying to handcuff a meth head which took what felt like 10 mins before others arrived and it took 6 total to get him finally cuffed... This was a step to my 2 back surgeries and 2 months in the hospital and my wife bailing out on me after 16 years this past may the 9th.... I said that to say this, I now have the free time to get back into a hobby that I have wanted to get back into for a long time... Im by no means a beginner and am no expert, Im just an average guy who wanted to know what detector you personally liked in my price range... I posted in the Garrett forum however I felt that I might not get all the recommendations for other brands in that forum so I posted here after many other great Treasurenet members gave me insight into other options other then the AT Pro... Thanks for your post and I hope you don't think Im being rude, I just feel that a lot of people don't post because they are afraid of looking like an idiot or lazy for asking a question. These are forums and this is one of if not the best metal detecting forum on the web so that is why I asked... Words are so hard to get ones meaning across because you cant see the facial expressions but just to clear it up...

Yes I have experience, and yes I have a couple metal detectors however they are over 20 years old Garretts and the newest thing I currently own or bought was what was called a "hot head coil?" or something like that lol so I need the new technology information and I will do my research on what others recommend based on what they like themselves... Maybe I wasn't clear or maybe it was my PTSD acting up in this post, if so please forgive me because I don't want to sound like a jerk to such a good community of people... Yeah being in law enforcement can make you talk like a jerk sometimes, even when you have the best interests at heart...

To the others that posted their choices many thanks and Im currently looking them up now and its making my choice so much harder lol.... Also want to add it doesn't have to have a screen however many I see now do infact have them and im sure they can be useful however I have to have one that produces good audio tones on top of the nice digital readouts... Im like a kid in a candy store...

JR

No worries mate, all questions and ideas are good, just a rare few are diehards to their brands.

In thinking out loud, if I had to do it all over again, I'd call Fisher and get a refurbished T2LTD or F75LTD (the newer ones with boost) and take the leftover money and get a Garrett Propointer. I believe "fella" got a great deal on a new T2 from a supporting vendor. There are reasons the F75/T2 cost more than ATPro/Gold, so it'll be your choice as to which one you get.

http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/teknetics/416939-new-t2se-way.html

Tesoro's are very light compared to others, and but there is a company that does make a nice harness to fit detectors that sling over your shoulder.

If it's an issue, Tesoro has lifetime warranty, Fisher has five year, and Garrett has two year warranty.

If you're limiting yourself to tones, you will be running in discrimination mode. I run all metal mode and get a significant amount (50%) of more depth but you are limited to a single tone, basically beep and dig like your old Garrett. The readouts are worthless on the deeper targets which should be your oldest targets. I feel too many people are limiting their digs to a fancy readout telling them it's a silver quarter. If you want an old deep gold coin or relic, no detector is going to tell you what it is, and you may never hear it running in discrimination mode limiting your depth.

Also keep in mind, some detector's all metal mode is nothing more than discrimination mode with zero discrimination resulting in little or no improvement in depth.

I kinda like my F75LTD in that is has a static all metal mode like old detectors. It is deep and detects without motion like the older detectors you may have used in the past.

/end rambling for now

 

[Sluiceguy42]

Garrett AT Pro or ACE 250
The Ace is 250$ and it is good for beginners
The AT Pro is Versatile and 750$ I think.

 

[fella]

Brothers and Sisters,

Sorry to ask this question as Im sure you get it asked all the time but this is a specific price range... Im looking hard at the AT Pro however with the suggestions of others I notice many have different opinions... Im sure I will purchase a few over this year but which one do YOU personally recommend and why? I will be hunting a variety of coins, and a lot of relics so Im sure an all around detector will be a best bet... I have experience at metal detecting however its been many years ago and now that the wife has bailed on me I have a lot of spare time on my hands... I live right at two mountains (Crowders and Kings mountain) in NC so Im not sure if that will make a difference due to minerals etc in the ground... The price may even go up to 1k but that will be the most and prefer a cap at around 750 or so... Also Im doing my own research on what others are saying too so Im not being lazy lol but there are a ton of posts and I have been reading until Ive been getting headaches lol .... Also maybe point me in the direction of some articles about specific brands or detectors that are good reads... I know Im asking a lot but you guys are all I have... Thanks again and God bless

JR

It's hard, if not impossible to beat the AT Pro (Gold) when comparing feature for feature at it's price point. It's simply a great machine and will do 99% of ANY other VLF detector out there! Period! Fact! On top of that, you can get it wet! It's a nice feature that comes in more handy than one might think. I'm not afraid to run mine alongside the E-Trac, V3i, F75/T2, Vaquero or anything in between! Hell, it's even fun when Mr. E-Trac or Mr. V3i calls ya over to check a deep target out and you can tell em what it is! Love listening to em when they go into justification mode!

 

[signal]

Garrett AT Pro or ACE 250
The Ace is 250$ and it is good for beginners
The AT Pro is Versatile and 750$ I think.

AT Pro is cheaper than $750. But of course with any detector, if you don't have equipment you need to budget for other things as well. Some things you may wish to budget for:

Good pinpointer $100-$150
Waterproof and/or upgraded headphones $100-$150
Dig Tool $50-$125
Extra coil $100-$150
Beach Scoop $100-$150

 

[jreverquest]

AT Pro is cheaper than $750. But of course with any detector, if you don't have equipment you need to budget for other things as well. Some things you may wish to budget for:

Good pinpointer $100-$150
Waterproof and/or upgraded headphones $100-$150
Dig Tool $50-$125
Extra coil $100-$150
Beach Scoop $100-$150

Signal,

Thank you my friend... Those are the things that I tend to forget about and are a must... Most of my old equipment which of course didn't include a pinpointer because they didn't have one at the time, was stolen over the years and I will HAVE to find these items all over again... I've been educated all over again lol


JR

 

[jreverquest]

No worries mate, all questions and ideas are good, just a rare few are diehards to their brands.

In thinking out loud, if I had to do it all over again, I'd call Fisher and get a refurbished T2LTD or F75LTD (the newer ones with boost) and take the leftover money and get a Garrett Propointer. I believe "fella" got a great deal on a new T2 from a supporting vendor. There are reasons the F75/T2 cost more than ATPro/Gold, so it'll be your choice as to which one you get.

http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/teknetics/416939-new-t2se-way.html

Tesoro's are very light compared to others, and but there is a company that does make a nice harness to fit detectors that sling over your shoulder.

If it's an issue, Tesoro has lifetime warranty, Fisher has five year, and Garrett has two year warranty.

If you're limiting yourself to tones, you will be running in discrimination mode. I run all metal mode and get a significant amount (50%) of more depth but you are limited to a single tone, basically beep and dig like your old Garrett. The readouts are worthless on the deeper targets which should be your oldest targets. I feel too many people are limiting their digs to a fancy readout telling them it's a silver quarter. If you want an old deep gold coin or relic, no detector is going to tell you what it is, and you may never hear it running in discrimination mode limiting your depth.

Also keep in mind, some detector's all metal mode is nothing more than discrimination mode with zero discrimination resulting in little or no improvement in depth.

I kinda like my F75LTD in that is has a static all metal mode like old detectors. It is deep and detects without motion like the older detectors you may have used in the past.

/end rambling for now

Thanks Steve!!! Some awesome points and Im off to dig deeper into everything you have educated me with lol... Thank you again... and please ramble all you want, very useful info

JR

 

[jreverquest]

It's hard, if not impossible to beat the AT Pro (Gold) when comparing feature for feature at it's price point. It's simply a great machine and will do 99% of ANY other VLF detector out there! Period! Fact! On top of that, you can get it wet! It's a nice feature that comes in more handy than one might think. I'm not afraid to run mine alongside the E-Trac, V3i, F75/T2, Vaquero or anything in between! Hell, it's even fun when Mr. E-Trac or Mr. V3i calls ya over to check a deep target out and you can tell em what it is! Love listening to em when they go into justification mode!

Fella,

This was the reason that I wanted to go for the AT Pro/Gold and the fact that the two main detectors over 20 years ago was whites and Garrett and they are still going strong... I was just wanting to know what technology has developed over the years... I love your post!!!

JR

 

[masterjedi]

Signal,

Thank you my friend... Those are the things that I tend to forget about and are a must... Most of my old equipment which of course didn't include a pinpointer because they didn't have one at the time, was stolen over the years and I will HAVE to find these items all over again... I've been educated all over again lol

Yes....you MUST get a pin pointer...